For Valentine’s Day, David and spent the weekend in Maryland on Solomons Island.  And by island, I mean they cut a five foot gap into the land and created a tourist trap :) 

We stayed at a great bed & breakfast, complete with a suped up jacuzzi in the room.  We had a really relaxing weekend and finished things off with a massage!

Here’s the view from our room (above the Jacuzzi):

This was the otter that greets the guests at the Inn:

We took the 8th graders snow tubing and snowboarding last weekend.  It was a lot of fun…..but extremely exhausting. 

On Thursday, we traveled to Gettysburg and toured the Military Museum, which features the awesome Electronic Map.  It was made in the 60s, I think, and is this huge map of greater Gettsyburg that features little lights all over, indicating the movements of the Union and Confederate troups during the battle.  They even have little red lights representing campfires at night - classic!  This field trip staple for the last 40-odd years is reaching the end of its days.  Why?  They are building a new museum (badly needed) and replacing the electronic map with a digital display.  Parade in the technology.  Not that I have anything against it really, it’s just that the map is a piece of history in itself.  It’s so cheesy, it’s so elementary…..it’s so damn good.  Let us all mourn the map.

Moving on, we arrived at Ski Liberty that evening.  Snow tubing was a lot of fun and really easy.  You just aim and glide.  No problems.

 

 

 

Friday morning we gathered into groups and were instructed on snowboarding.  After some instruction at the bottom of the bunny slop, we took the ski lift to the top - where I proceeded to fall off the lift, facedown in the snow.  I then had to hurry the hell up so that the next people off (a man and his small daughter) wouldn’t run into me.  For the next two hours, I crawled down the hill.  Well, it was more like short bursts of speed interupted by me falling because I didn’t know how to stop.  Seriously, I’d get up, put my feet on the snowboard and then shoot down like a was a lead weight.  It was freaking scary.  The kids were all around me, so I couldn’t swear.  I ended up flying past them screaming “sweet mother of god help me!!!” and “oh no baby jesus!!”  Yeah, it was hilarious.  The students were all encouraging me yelling “Go Miss Jones,” as I fell on my ass, my wrists and hamstrings breaking my fall. 

I spent the rest of the afternoon in the lodge by the fireplace, drinking Starbucks and watching Little Miss Sunshine on a laptop.  Her performance in the pageant is PRICELESS.  Good times.

Friday night, I had tickets to Justin Timberlake.  Yes folks, I love JT, and there’s no shame in admitting it.  The concert was awesome - a ton of people over 13, I was really surprised.  In fact, the lines at the Beer Tents were outrageous.  He put on a great show - awesome dancing and good backup singers - and sang every song I wanted to hear.  “Cry Me A River?” Done. “Sexyback?”  You got it.  He even went oldschool (if we’re now calling NSync days oldschool) and threw “Gone” in there.  I was in heaven.

Between the snowboarding and the concert, I was pretty much a blob the rest of the weekend.  I was SO SORE, I can’t even find the words to tell you.  I couldn’t move, I couldn’t speak.  My body basically shut-down on me. 

I think I needed it.

I’ve been contemplating this theory for awhile and it was the latest episode of The Real Housewives of Orange County that motivated me to finally write about it. 

Vehicles.

I believe that people should be driving cars that they deserve.  Everytime I see an episode of Super Sweet 16, I sit there and think “This kid does not NEED this mercedes/bmw/hummer.” 

I want to create criteria by which all people are judged, to merit the car they own.  This would be based on Need and Integrity.

a. Location: What kind of environment are you living in; Mountains, Intercity, Suburbia?

b. Number of Passengers: How many family members will be using the car?

c. Commute: Do you need to drive to work? How far are you going and how often?

d. Integrity: Are you a good person?  I know, this is subjective, but I’m really sick of jerks driving around in Escalades.  Are you a hard worker?  Do you work for a living or are you lounging off society or your family?   30%

e. Age: I don’t think young, inexperienced drivers need to be in new cars.  They haven’t earned it.  They need to work.  They need to prove their need.

f. Wealth: Yes, this needs to be a factor, albeit a small factor.  If you have earned it, by making your own fortune, then you should drive a nice car.  However, there are some stipulations to this rule.  You must have earned the money yourself; no family money.  Also, the integrity rule still applies.  If you are a jerk, but a rich jerk, then you can drive a new car; a new Honda Accord!  Hey, it could be worse, I could have assigned him a 1995 Neon.